Have you ever made a new year’s resolution that didn’t stick past week 1? We certainly have. We’ve had our fair share of past resolutions last all of 5 minutes. Commit and follow through. Simple enough, so why can’t we make change stick?

Change is hard, change is challenging and, change usually doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot more dedication than simply declaring a new year’s resolution. If you don’t have a strategy in place, chances are that resolution will fall to the bottom of your priority list shortly after January 1st.

If you really want to commit this year and make real change happen, use these 6 tools to help you follow through.

6 tools to help you follow through this year & make any resolution stick:

1. Take Consistent Daily Action Whether it’s to drink more water, exercise 3 times per week, or say ‘no’ more often, resolutions require a change in behavior. Any change in behavior requires daily repetition before it becomes a habit. For instance, we don’t really have to think about brushing our teeth everyday we just do it because it’s been part of our routine ever since we were taught how to. That’s a lot of days, years, decades even, of brushing our teeth on a daily basis.

When you make your resolution commit to it for at least 21 days. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit and for a new behavior to become automatic. If you fall off track no worries, just recommit and start again at Day 1.

2. Schedule It If it's not written in our calendar it doesn’t get done. If something is really important to you, set some time aside (every single day) to do it. Carve out that time for yourself and put it in your daily planner as if it’s a top priority. We block out time for mediation, exercise, reading, date nights, everything, so nothing else gets in the way.

3. Don’t Overcommit A major reason why we have trouble following through with our commitments is because we’re committing to too much. If we’re going to be repeating the action everyday (see step 1), then it’s important to not add 10 things to your to-do list. Yes, we all have a lot of things we want to do, try and change, but nothing is going to change if we’re not focused.

Choose one resolution that you want to stick with, and when that feels like second nature, go ahead and add another.

4. Keep it simple Simplicity is key. Don’t feel that you have to make a huge, drastic lifestyle change at once. You don’t want your new year’s resolution to be daunting or unrealistic. Small steps in the right direction are all you need to move forward and get to where you want to go.

Think about your resolution, what does it require? Is it as simple as cutting up some extra veggies so you have healthy snacks on hand? Or is it a bit more in-depth like finally starting that new business venture you’ve been putting off for years. If it’s a little more in-depth, break it down into smaller daily action steps.

5. Make it your decision January is a time that prompts a lot of us to make changes. With everyone declaring their own resolutions it’s easy to get eager and jump on the bandwagon. Everyone else is doing it, shouldn’t you? Not necessarily. You have to make sure your resolution is your resolution. Make it something you want to do, not something you think you should do. If it’s something that you truly want, you’ll be much more likely to stick to it.

When making your resolutions rate them on a scale of 1-10. 10 being you want it and you want it bad, 1 being ehh, not so much. If you find your resolution is near the bottom of the scale try choosing one that feels closer to a 10.

6. Share your progress Letting friends, family, or the world of social media know your resolution will help motivate you to stick with it. Sharing your progress with others will also help hold you accountable. You can text a friend every night, talk to your family about it, or revisit this post and share how it's going in the comments below.

Are you a resolution maker or have any other tips on following through? We’d love for you to share your insights in the comments below!

And know someone who would love this post? Spread the love and share it with a friend.

If you want to make 2016 your best year yet, join us for our online cleanse course Nourished By Nature. A crash course in clean eating and plant-based nutrition that will put you on the fast track to vibrant health, vitality & an insanely blissed out life. This is your last week to sign up and space is limited and it will sell out so click here to grab your spot today!

To an incredible 2016, Erika & Jess

Become an Alchemy Insider! Sign up for our email newsletter to receive a weekly dose of alchemy insights and get exclusive access to high vibe nutrition knowledge that will catapult you into achieving the life of your dreams (you’ll be glad you did!).PSST^^^It’s free!

Sign Me Up!

Sign up to receive exclusive Alchemy Insights from us, with love.

Name *

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Hello, Alkalite! Thank you so much for signing up! You're almost done! Be sure to check your inbox to complete your subscription process.

What’s up this month? Aside from the obvious spring forward clock jump happening on the 11th, March is bookended by not one but TWO glossy full moons illuminating literally everything that’s been hiding...

New year, new you or same you, new year? I don’t know where I was going with this because my original plan was to introduce a fresh monthly series where we report our top 5-10 product picks of the month then you, our sweet, funny, kind, and profoundly brilliant reader tell us which products you’re currently loving in the comments...

You may remember that nearly one year ago we professed our immense disdain for cold weather and graced your screens with all the ways we could think of to beat the winter blues. I like to think that article was the most important piece of cold weather content ever displayed on the Internet, but my boyfriend simply calls it “useful.” Anyway, we’re back(!) one year later with Part II of that feature, this time with a very helpful and equally useful winter Rx spotlighting 1000+ words on how not to get sick and 9 weird, witchy, holistic ways to prevent those nasty winter colds...

Is it 2018 already? On one level I don’t believe it because where the f*%k did 2017 go? On another level though, everything, including my calendar, is currently screaming NEXT. So why not embrace it? In honor of the new year, fresh starts, and Monday nights extra glossy Supermoon in Cancer — could 2018 be any brighter? — we’re purging the old. Here is everything we’re letting go of in 2017...

Featured IN:

Join Our Tribe

You’re here to live a radiant, vibrant, happy, empowered, inspired life and we’re here to help you make it happen. Sign up to receive free updates & get exclusive access to high vibe nutrition knowledge that will catapult you into achieving the life of your dreams.

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

We respect your privacy & promise not to spam you.

Hello, Alkalite! Thank you so much for signing up! You're almost done!Be sure to check your inbox to complete your subscription process.